Friday, December 20, 2013

Welcome to the Midwinter's Eve Giveaway Hop. This giveaway runs December 21-31, 2013. Please fill out the form below to enter. Five winners will be chosen. The first winner will get a $10 Amazon gift code AND their choice of any of my eBooks. The other four of the winners will get their choice of any of my eBooks. A Smashwords code or email with file attached will be sent.

You have to like my Facebook fan page for your first entry (this is just liking the page, you don't have to friend me). You can get up to 4 more entries by leaving a comment below or following or friending me on the websites below for a total of 5 entries.I write YA drama and paranormal. Find out more about them by clicking on the tabs above.

Sign up to Sponsor the December Giveaway (starting around December 2nd)http://www.iamareader.com/2013/10/december-kindle-fire.htmlGiveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7" HDX (US Only - $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International).
There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7".
Ends 11/30/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, November 1, 2013

A few years ago, I wrote a book about a girl with epilepsy. I don't remember why I decided to write about epilepsy. I enjoy writing books about teens with medical issues. Maybe it was a show I saw? I know epilepsy is a disorder that people don't know a lot about. I did a lot of research for this book and I hope that I wrote it well.

I'm sure many of you don't know much about epilepsy. Maybe you shrug and say it's not something you're interested in. I hope you change your mind and read my book. It's not just about the disease, it's about a teenager who is dealing with the loss of her parents, going to public school for the first time, worried that she's a burden to her newly married older brother. She also worries about making friends and falling in love. So read it for the teen angst. Read it for the drama parts. Maybe while you're at it, you'll find out a little something about epilepsy.

Or read it because it's free.

In honor of National Epilepsy Awareness Month, I am putting Teagan's Story: Her Battle With Epilepsy free for November on the sites I can control. Apple iBooks and Smashwords have already updated and are free. I'm hoping that Amazon follows (keep checking that link to see if it's free). I can only put it on sale for as low as $0.99 at Barnes and Noble. They won't let you put it free and they don't price match.

Some quick epilepsy facts:

2+ million Americans have epilepsy

Currently affects more than 300,000 kids under the age of 15

150,000 annual NEW cases in the USA

1 in 10 people have had a seizure

65 million people worldwide have epilepsy

I really hope some of you branch out and try this book. Let Teagan touch your heart. Thanks!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Welcome to the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop. This giveaway runs October 15-31, 2013. Please fill out the form below to enter. Five winners will be chosen. The first winner will get a $10 Amazon gift code AND their choice of any of my eBooks. The rest of the winners will get their choice of any of my eBooks. A Smashwords code or email with file attached will be sent.

You have to like my Facebook fan page for your first entry (this is just liking the page, you don't have to friend me). You can get up to 3 more entries by leaving a comment below or following or friending me on the websites below for a total of 4 entries.I write YA drama and paranormal. Find out more about them by clicking on the tabs above.

Sign up to Sponsor the NOVEMBER Giveawayhttp://www.iamareader.com/2013/09/november-kindle-fire-giveaway-sign-ups.htmlGiveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire.
Ends 10/31/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Hi friends and readers. I hope you are all enjoying the start of fall. It's still hot here, so it feels like summer hasn't left yet. The leaves don't turn pretty colors and the pools are still open. Kids are back in school and I've been doing more writing.

Over the summer, I received quite a few emails or messages asking if my books were in print. My answer always was sadly no. You see, it takes money. Money that I don't have. When I first started releasing my books, I had beta readers go over them and hoped I didn't have too many mistakes. After having two books for sale with book covers I made, I decided to find a cover artist. With the money I make from my sales, I reinvest it into the books. So now I pay for my covers and I pay for editing. Lastly, I've been paying for formatting. I did an okay job, but I knew it could be better and I want my books to be the best.

To get my books in print, I need to have my cover artist do the spine and back of the book as well as resize the front. The formatter also needs to do a print version of the book with page numbers and different paragraph styles.

Plus each book needs a new, unique ISBN.

There's just so much that we as readers don't think about.

After telling people over and over that I didn't have print versions, I thought about using Kickstarter. This website is so that people can pledge $1 or more to help someone achieve their dream. I would love to tell the teacher who messaged me about print copies of my books for her schools' program called Project Read A Lot that she could have a copy of all of my books for the program. Or tell the mom who wants to get her child a copy of The Gifted Teens Series that they're on their way. I want to donate to the hospitals so teens can read while they're recovering. This is my dream.

So here is where YOU come in. You can follow this link to my Kickstarter campaign and pledge money toward my dream. You will get a prize. What that prize is depends on how much you pledge. If you can't afford to pledge, that's okay. Maybe someone you know can. Share the Kickstarter link with your family, friends, book buddies, bloggers, on your FB page, on your Twitter, the possibilities are endless and maybe those people will pledge some money.

Just so you know, if the money is not raised, you do not owe a thing. Only if I make my goal will I get the money. That's why word of mouth is SO important!

Here's a bonus! If you share the link, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below to be entered into a drawing to win a $25 Amazon gift card. I will DOUBLE that (to a $50 gift card) if I raise all the money needed). You can enter up to 6 times a day for a month. Each time you share my link, enter the giveaway. Example: You share it on FB, 1 entry. You share it on Twitter, 1 entry. You share it on your blog, 1 entry and so on. 6 a day for 30 days! That's 180 potential entries!

If you're worried what will happen if I don't get the money, don't be. I will still get my books in print, it's just going to take a lot longer.

Here's the Rafflecopter!! Good luck and thank you from the bottom of my heart!! It's people like you who pledge or share the link that will help get these books out to schools and hospitals.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

I am very excited to finally be able to reveal the cover for Unbreakable, book three in The Gifted Teens Series. I really hope you all like this cover as much as I do. The book should be available very soon! Keep checking in!!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Jonathan Benton always wanted to write books, having won first place in a short story competition when he was ten. Inspired by writes such as Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, Jonathan first discovered the crossover genre of literary/fantasy while reading Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Jonathan grew up in New Zealand, dreaming of travelling to London and finally making the pilgrimage in his mid-twenties. Returning from England, he settled in Australia, the country he now calls home, and decided to take his writing seriously.

Robert Duncan no longer believes in magic. A mysterious call about a blood moon, however, leads him back to the magical world of his childhood and to Luthien, the beautiful girl with flame-coloured hair, who he loved and lost.

As Robert unravels the secrets of his childhood, darkness enters his life and an ancient evil awakens. To have any chance of defeating the dark forces that would destroy two worlds, Robert must find Luthien before the rise of the blood moon. He must, once more, believe in magic …

A Wicked Kind of Dark mixes vast and spectacular fantasy landscapes with gritty urban reality. A must-read for people of all ages who believe in the power of imagination, and the importance of never losing touch with your inner child.

Giveaway Details

$10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Open Internationally

Ends 8/15/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

*An additional $10 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash is available to anyone who shares this giveaway on their blog. See link in the rafflecopter form.

Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International).
There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire.
Sponsor a future Kindle Fire Giveaway by signing up HERE.
Ends 8/15/13
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, July 1, 2013

Welcome to the Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop. This giveaway runs July 2-9, 2013. Please fill out the form below to enter. Five winners will be chosen. The first winner will get a $10 Amazon gift code AND their choice of any of my eBooks. The rest of the winners will get their choice of any of my eBooks. A Smashwords code or email with file attached will be sent.

You have to like my Facebook fan page for your first entry (this is just liking the page, you don't have to friend me). You can get up to 3 more entries by leaving a comment below or following or friending me on the websites below for a total of 4 entries.I write YA drama and paranormal. Find out more about them by clicking on the tabs above.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks. It was wonderful except for the driving part which my 3 year old made quite miserable. We visited California and loved it there. Because our family has gotten so big, we decided to look into renting a house from VRBO this time. I was quite nervous we'd end up with a dump or a house that smelled like smoke or cats.

I can happily say I was thrilled with what we got. In fact, I was so happy with our experience, I wanted to post the link to the vacation house and my review here. If anybody is going to the Anaheim area for vacation, check this place out. Whether you have four people or ten people, it's great!

I will post more about our vacation later. Right now I have to write!!! The area gave me some good ideas and my characters have been extremely loud in my head because I've ignored them for so long.

This was our first time renting a vacation house instead of staying at a hotel. As our family has expanded, we were having to get at least 2 rooms or suites at hotels which is way out of our price range. So we looked into VRBO. Our family of 8, including 2 adults and 6 children, stayed at Disney Digs for 9 nights and we couldn't have been happier. The photos are right on.

I'm so glad we tried renting a house for vacation. Ryan and Leah had EVERYTHING we needed. It was clean and quiet. I have a lot of allergies and I was thrilled that nothing here bothered them.

The kitchen was stocked with fun plates, cups, and utensils, and even sippy cups for the kids. There were paper plates, napkins, and water bottles! The decor was perfect. It was cool enough for the teenager to enjoy as well as the little ones. The kids loved measuring themselves on the height chart to see which rides they could go on. The couches were comfortable, the table perfect for us, and the beds were great! I slept like a baby, which I never do at home. I loved having the nursery right there for the baby. He slept wonderfully and I was so glad I didn't have to drag the pack-n-play with us.

Ryan and Leah left treats for the kids which they loved. My 1 year old boy didn't let go of his little Buzz Lightyear toy for hours!! And the teen loved her mustache cup.

Ryan and Leah had gates for the stairs, highchairs, crib, changing table, and strollers. After an issue with one of the strollers came up, they replaced it right away. We were happy to find everything we needed for the beach - towels, toys, chairs, boogie boards. Kids had a blast!

I don't have one single complaint. It was a perfect house for us and I will refer this house to anybody going to Anaheim. Thank you so much, Ryan and Leah, for a wonderful place to call home during our vacation.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Eden Crane Design's has done it again! Broken Promise will be released soon, so we decided to get a facelift for the series. What do you think of the new covers?

Cover Redesign

Rylie has it all - great friends, dream boy, loving family. But on the eve of her sixteenth birthday, her perfect little world shatters. A stranger claiming to be her real mother appears with a secret: Rylie is a faery whose powers will be unleashed on her birthday. Captured and forced into a new life, Rylie struggles to keep everything she loves and discovers a terrifying truth: some promises cannot be broken.

Coming Soon! June 2013

Over a year has passed since Rylie returned to her 'human' life. She now knows the truth about her past – and the destiny she can’t yet accept. Rylie struggles to choose between two different worlds, each with a boy she loves. News that her father is alive complicates her life even more. Among the broken hearts and promises, a chance for a new beginning will emerge.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Have you heard about these yet? Diapers that tweet!! Well...to be fair...it's not actually the diaper, but something Huggies developed called a TweetPee. A bird that clips to the diaper and alerts Mom, Dad, Grandma, or the nanny that the child is wet. How does it alert you? You guessed it! It sends you a tweet! To an app you download. Not only does this app monitor diaper moisture, but also inventory and keeps count of the average amount of diapers the baby uses.

Seriously? Seriously? Have we gotten so lazy that we can't get off our butts and check our babies ourselves? That smell didn't let you know? The sagging pants? We need a message to pop up on our phone or tablet saying "HEY YOU!!!! YEAH YOU!!!! Go change your kid!!!!!" Seriously? What is wrong with people?

I'm a normal person. Just as lazy as the next. But when my kids are in diapers, I check them every couple hours. If I smell something, guess what?? I even change them before those two hours are up! I don't need something to chirp at me and tell me my kid is wet. And does it only work on pee? How many pees? Just one? What if the pee is further down? What about poop? Does it tweet if the kid poops? Not to mention about having an electronic device "down there". What happens if these things actually catch on and in 20-30 years all these men are infertile or getting penile cancer? All just because Mom, Dad, Grandma, or the nanny was too lazy to get up and physically check baby's diaper.

Shaking my head.

The TweetPee is being tested in Brazil, so it's not being sold yet. Let's hope it stays that way.

Monday, May 6, 2013

I'm happy to be a part of this cover reveal for Lisa Rigsbee's Falling! Check it out!

Book Info-

Title - Falling

By Lisa Rigsbee

Publication Date- March 17th, 2013

Blurb-

After seventeen year-old Sophie’s mom dies in a tragic accident, she is so engulfed with guilt and sadness, she feels like she could literally, simply lie down and die. But a few months later, on the night she and her friends experiment with a Ouija board, things begin to change in unimaginable ways. Sophie begins to hear, and then see, Nick, a boy who has been dead for two years. This story tells of their blossoming friendship, young love, and how, through Nick, Sophie learns to live again. But even in the spirit world, happiness can’t last forever. There is a dark side to this otherworldly friendship. Not all spirits are good. Sophie’s dreams become haunting, scary nightmares. And soon these nightmares become reality, and lead Nick and Sophie into a battle against this evil spirit. They must fight for her life, but even if they can figure out how to fight a ghost, Sophie isn’t sure she wants to. If she dies, she could be with Nick forever.

FALLING grips emotions and keeps the reader turning pages late into the night.

Lisa lives near the beach with her daughter and four dogs. She spends every spare moment at the beach, either reading, or surfing, or just sitting and watching the water. That's also where she does most of her writing, in a notebook, with a pencil. Lisa is a school teacher, and a yoga teacher. She is passionate about dog rescue. As busy as she stays, she is most happy sitting on her sofa, cuddling with her pups.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Welcome to the Showers of Books Giveaway Hop. This giveaway runs April 24-April 30, 2013. Please fill out the form below to enter. Five winners will be chosen. The first winner will get a $10 Amazon gift code AND their choice of any of my eBooks. The rest of the winners will get their choice of any of my eBooks. A Smashwords code or email with file attached will be sent.

You have to like my Facebook fan page for your first entry (this is just liking the page, you don't have to friend me). You can get up to 3 more entries by leaving a comment below or following or friending me on the websites below for a total of 4 entries.
I write YA drama and paranormal. Find out more about them by clicking on the tabs above.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

I've been making good progress on my third Gifted Teens series. I'm up to about 44,000 words which means I've got at least another 10,000 to write. It shouldn't take me long, but now that I'm towards the last part of the book, it gets harder. I have to make sure I wrapped up everything I need to. I have to make sure all questions got answered. I have to go back through and make sure there aren't any inconsistencies. Then I have to think about my characters. Did they get enough time? Did they grow? Did they develop their relationships? And so on. This, of course, takes a while.

I'm hoping to be done writing it in the next month and then off it'll go for editing, formatting, and that kind of thing. That'll take at least two months. I'm hopeful to have it out around the end of July, early August. Guess it'll depend how busy I get, how busy the people I depend on get, etc. I know many of you are anxious. I promise I'm working on it as fast as I can, but not too fast, I want it to be awesome. I don't want to let you down.

And no...I have no title yet. Nothing has come to me. Stay tuned. You'll know when I do :)

Monday, April 1, 2013

I'm thrilled to be a part of this cover reveal for Sarah Billington.
Here are the covers for her new series, The Kiss-Off.

Scroll down to learn more about the books, where you can purchase them, and enter a contest.

The Kiss-Off (Book 1)

Sarah Billington

Genre: YA Contemporary

Synopsis:

WARNING: Sexual references, occassional coarse language.

When sixteen year old Poppy Douglas writes a song about her ex-boyfriend Cam and ex-friend Nikki, she has no idea that her heartbreak is about to go global.

A local band picks up her song from Youtube and soon she’s along for the ride with her own fanbase as they blow up on the local club scene and hit the international charts. Though it turns out leaving Cam behind isn’t as easy as she had hoped.

Tangled in a web of unfinished homework, ill-considered sexting and a new lead-singer boyfriend, Poppy has a choice to make between the ex that inspired it all and the rock God whose poster lines the inside of half the lockers at school. But as she struggles to keep her emotional dirty laundry private, she learns that the truth can be hard to find when your life is in the headlines.

Teen Youtube song writing sensation Poppy Douglas's lead singer boyfriend Ty's been criss-crossing the country and living it up on tour for months while Poppy has been stuck in the boring suburbs, finishing out the school year.

But it's Summer now, and the best thing just happened: Poppy's royalties for writing the hit song The Kiss Off just came in.

She's minted, and she knows just what she's going to blow it on.

Ty's band Academy of Lies are headlining a summer music festival, and Poppy is taking her girlfriends along for the best weekend of their lives. It's all organized: the weekend is going to be full of camping under the stars, backstage passes, VIP rooms and partying like rock stars, not to mention some long awaited one-on-one time with America's favorite front man.

Except, when someone drops out of the trip and Poppy takes the opportunity to mend a broken friendship, it doesn't quite go according to plan.

And when she meets her boyfriend's BFF from another band, the paparazzi form their own totally wrong conclusions.

There's also the matter of Ty's 'super fan' stalker, but the less said about her the better.

The biggest test of all comes in the form of an opportunity too good to pass up. But will insecurities and jealousy stand in Poppy's way?

Can Poppy and Ty's relationship even survive it?

Life is about to get much more complicated for Poppy Douglas, but what can you expect when your boyfriend is a rock star?

Sarah Billington is an Australian writer and editor who likes to write stories with love, laughs, suspense and zombies. Sometimes all in the same story.

She writes predominantly light Young Adult fiction under her name, Sarah Billington, but if you're interested in something a bit darker and scarier she's got some of that for you too.

Sarah loves a variety of random things, which include Swing Dancing, Ice Hockey, fly ball and is a bit obsessive about paranormal investigation shows and channel E!. She has also become known as "the zombie girl" because of her fascination with all things zombie. She doesn't quite know how that happened, but she's going with it.

One winner will win 22 ebooks from all different YA genres listed here:

The Kiss Off by Sarah Billington
Over It by Sarah Billington (on release)
Freak of Nature by Julia Crane
Dark Summer by Lizzy Ford
Boys of Summer by CJ Duggan
From Fame to Shame by Veronica Blade
Shaken by Susan Hatler
Starkissed by Brynna Gabrielson
Wicked Sense by Fabio Bueno
Equal Parts by Emma Winters
Heaven Below by Nolia McCarty
Myth by Jolea M Harrison
Sword of Sighs by Greg James
Forged by Greed by Angela Orlowski-Peart
Footsteps in Time by Sarah Woodbury
Troll or Derby by Red Tash
Curse of the Ice Dragon by Tara West
The Alpha Girls: Flutura by Angela Muse
Don't Fear the Reaper by Michelle Muto
Foxworth Academy by Chris Blewitt
Visions of the Witch by Tara West & Heather Marie Adkins
Souled by Diana Murdock

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Welcome to the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop. This giveaway runs March 29-April 5, 2013. Please fill out the form below to enter. Five winners will be chosen. Winners will get their choice of any of my eBooks. A Smashwords code will be sent.

You have to like my Facebook fan page for your first entry (this is just liking the page, you don't have to friend me). You can get up to 3 more entries by leaving a comment below or following or friending me on the websites below for a total of 4 entries.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Welcome to the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop. This giveaway runs March 15-22, 2013. Please fill out the form below to enter. Five winners will be chosen. Winners will get their choice of any of my eBooks. A Smashwords code will be sent.

You have to like my Facebook fan page for your first entry (this is just liking the page, you don't have to friend me). You can get up to 4 more entries by leaving a comment below or following or friending me on the websites below for a total of 5 entries.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

A friend from college, Richard Moran, released his first book today and I am pleased to put his cover and blurb on my blog.

If you like adult paranormal fantasy - good vs. evil type book, you should check it out.

Gina was on top of her game in the world of law enforcement. She graduated with honors from the police academy and was the best detective for the NYPD.

Ten years later, she chose to start her life over and relocated to New Mexico, working as a small town sheriff. One night, Gina confronts a demonic cult and the first steps were taken toward her true destiny, leading a group of special officers named The Angelites, to protect the world and humanity from Satan's largest army known as The Clucifix.

Now Gina must decide will she accept her calling or go back to living the quiet life in New Mexico.

The Angelites is a paranormal thrill-ride that is filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very last page. If your looking for a supernatural drama, with action and a touch of horror, then you'll enjoy taking a journey into this new epic saga.

Monday, March 11, 2013

My middle schooler doesn't like one of her teachers. In fact, I don't like the teacher either. But having a teacher you don't get along with is part of life. It's 50 minutes out of the day that'll just have to suck. I keep explaining to her that it's something that will happen...whether it's this year, next year, or three years from now. Everyone is bound to get a teacher they don't really like.

Every day, my daughter comes home with a story about this teacher. Sometimes it's directly related to her, sometimes it's what the teacher did to someone else in the class. Only one time when the teacher took something away from my daughter - my daughter's fault, but the teacher wouldn't give it back - did I get involved. There were other times I wanted to get involved, but didn't. And there were other times I just rolled my eyes and said, "I understand you hate her, but you have to find a way to get through it."

I can't go calling the counselor for every little thing. Now, if it was a big issue, I would. If it was something that kept me up at night, I would insist on the school switching her teacher. There are other parents that feel the same. Many who have expressed to me their feelings about this teacher.

Today my daughter texted me asking to be picked up from school before the class. I felt bad, but I don't feel like I should go rescue her just because she doesn't like the teacher. She has to learn how to deal with it. But then I feel guilty. It sucks. If I go pick her up, it'll set a precedent that any time she doesn't like something or someone, I'll go get her. On the other hand, I don't want her to think I'm ignoring her.

So, parents, how do you handle situations like this? If your child calls or texts you asking to be picked up early, do you have rules as to when or why you will pick them up?

Thursday, March 7, 2013

I have a board on Pinterest that helps to inspire my writing. I've been pinning pictures of people I think resemble my characters. Might just be the hair or the eyes or the make-up, but something about them reminds me of someone I write about.

Some of the pictures are clothes I could see my characters in. Some are the places I mention in the books from dorm rooms to mountains.

I tried to find a necklace like the one Kairi wears in Secret Bloodline, but only came across one so far that is similar. The only thing wrong with the one in the picture is that it's a locket and the one Kairi has isn't.

I'm hoping some of you will go look at the board to see what goes on in my head. Follow it so when I add more you can see them.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

I am thrilled to be a part of the cover reveal for After Summer. So without further ado...are you ready? Here is the cover for Hannah Harvey's upcoming YA contemporary, After Summer.

Title: After Summer

Author: Hannah Harvey

Release Date: March 1st 2013

Synopsis:

Everything changes for
Arianna when she loses one of her best friends in an accident, suddenly
everything that felt happy and safe, is no longer there, and she can't handle it.

It used to be Ben,
Summer and Arianna, always together, and now it's just Ben and Arianna left,
and she needs to escape.

After Summer's death she
pushes Ben away, cutting of her connection with who she used to be, but she
can't keep running forever, not when the past is always ready to catch her up,
especially since it's more than just Summer's death that she's running from.

Full Synopsis:

After Summer is a young
adult fiction novel, set in a fictional beachside small town in America. It
centres around Arianna, an eighteen year old who has just graduated high
school. All her life Arianna has had a plan in place, but after her best friend
Summer dies, she finds it increasingly difficult to live up to the
expectations.

She has secrets, and
throughout the novels she’s battling between what she wants, and what she
thinks others want for her.

Most of the story is
told in third person, though there are a few journal style letters
incorporated.

After Summer is a book
about discovering who you are, through many trials of growing up. It delves
into loss, love, expectations and a fear of asking for help, even when you know
you need it.

Excerpt:

‘Don’t lecture me Ben I
can’t deal with that tonight.’

‘I expected more from
you.’ He sighs.

‘That’s the whole issue
though,’ Arianna shouts, ‘so many people expected so much from me, by the time
I was about thirteen my whole life had been mapped out, and I felt like if I
changed even one thing, I’d be letting everyone down! I was drowning in
expectations. After Summer died I just couldn’t do it anymore, but that
Arianna, the one I used to be, she was so tied down by all of that, so I had to
become someone new.’

‘And cut everyone out of
your life? I know it’s not just me, you hardly talk to Alex anymore, you’re
withdrawn around your parents, you don’t talk to my parents anymore, all of
your friends were dropped, you don’t talk to Kate, and she says that Fletcher
has been trying to contact you but you won’t talk to him either. I don’t
understand it, you had a great life and sure I know things weren’t perfect, but
you had a support system of friends and family, and you pushed them all away.
What’s so horrible about the life you had planned?’

‘Nothing’s horrible
about it,’

‘Then just explain to me
what you’re doing? Why you’re acting like this prom queen type of girl.’

‘Maybe because I am the
prom queen,’ she shrugs noncommittally, ‘I like who I am now, I have a big
group of friends, I have money, I don’t have to worry about being labelled a
nerd, I actually have a varied social life that consists of more than staying
at home, or going to the arcade. I don’t have to care,’

‘About anything,’ he
finishes for her, ‘that’s the biggest problem, you used to care about things
and people, but now you don’t, or you pretend you don’t.’

‘I didn’t come here to
talk about myself, so if this is the way the nights going then I’ll leave now.’
She snaps back angrily.

About the Author:

Hannah has had a keen
interest in writing for a long time, starting out writing short stories when
she was young. As she got older she started taking her writing more seriously,
and writing longer pieces, but it wasn’t until taking part in and completing NaNoWriMo,
that she decided to pursue her writing.